The genus Dixa (Diptera, Dixidae) in Croatian lotic habitats, with a checklist of species and relationships with the fauna of neighbouring countries

Invertebrate surveys in Croatia conducted between 2005 and 2018 included 39 sampling sites yielding bycatch samples of Dixidae (Diptera). All records of this family from the territory of Croatia are summarized, including previously unpublished data. Collections contained six species of Dixa Meigen – D.dilatata Strobl, D.maculata Meigen, D.nebulosa Meigen, D.nubilipennis Curtis, D.puberula Loew, and D.submaculata Edwards, with Dixadilatata reported from Croatia for the first time. Information relating to the ecoregions in which species were found and specific species traits are provided. Compared to neighbouring countries, the Croatian species assemblage is most similar to the fauna of Italy and least similar to that of Serbia and Montenegro.

Dolichopodidae of riverbeds and springs in Croatia with an updated checklist of Croatia (Diptera)

Several invertebrate surveys in Croatia conducted between 2005 and 2014 and including; e.g., Plitvice Lakes, produced 123 bycatch samples of Dolichopodidae (Diptera) from 68 sampling sites collected at 36 localities in seven counties. Seventy-seven were retrieved from emergence traps, six from pan traps and 40 were collected with sweep net and/or aspirator. They contained 420 dolichopodid flies that belonged to 64 species in 22 genera. Four species, Campsicnemus umbripennis, Hercostomus chetifer, Liancalus virens and Syntormon pallipes, accounted for over half of the yields. Contrary to most species that were found in largest numbers in rivers, and their beds in particular, S. pallipes and Hercostomus gracilis were considerably more abundant at springs. Fifty-five species could be added to the national checklist which raises the total number to 94 species. All species records are given, the habitat of each species is described, if possible, and taxonomic notes are provided for some dubious species. Finally, elements are presented to support the assumption that the extant dolichopodid species richness of Croatia is at least three- to fourfold of the current number.

Spiders Revisited: Retracing the Steps of Herbert and Lorna Levi's Historic Invertebrate Surveys of the Jackson Hole Region of Wyoming

In 1950, Herbert and Lorna Levi collected invertebrates in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and other localities in the region. Sixty-five years later and looking towards the centennial of the National Park Service, a preliminary reassessment of the biodiversity of spiders was conducted in a subset of localities that were collected by the Levis. Specimens have been collected and are in the process of being identified. Comparison of this new collection with the historical records is currently underway. As the arts have played a crucial role in the history of national parks, we are exploring how to partner art and science to share the beauty and wonder of spiders based on our fieldwork in celebration of the upcoming National Park Service centennial.

The composition and seasonal changes in the beetle (Coleoptera) fauna of the western Victorian basalt plains native grasslands

The western Victorian basalt plains native grasslands are recognised as one of the most endangered plant communities in Australia. Since European settlement, they have been cleared, grazed, and fragmented and are now found as small scattered remnants. No general invertebrate surveys were undertaken in these grasslands until the 1990s, and this paper reports on the beetles associated with 12 native grassland sites that were sampled seasonally between 1992 and 1993. A total of 114 beetle morphospecies from 26 families were collected, dominated by members of four families (Carabidae, Staphylinidae, Scarabaeidae and Tenebrionidae). The beetle fauna comprised a small number of widespread species and over 63% of species were found at only one or two sites. In terms of relative abundances, a small number of beetle species dominated the fauna; the 10 most common species comprised nearly 64% of the total number of individuals collected.